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How can international policy drivers improve ICT accessibility in the Pacific?

This article explores how international and regional policy can drive improvements in ICT accessibility in the Pacific region, which consists of small island developing countries with limited resources and high costs for transport and infrastructure. It examines the current status of ICT usage, the growing usage of mobile phones with internet access, and the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing ICT. The article also discusses the potential impact of policy drivers such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ITU policies, and regional strategies on disability, and proposes a systematic approach for improving accessibility in the Pacific.

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How can international policy drivers improve ICT accessibility in the Pacific?

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  1. How can international policy drivers improve ICT accessibility in the Pacific? Gunela Astbrink GSA InfoComm

  2. Pacific Islands region • Extremely large area with mainly small landmass • Relatively small populations • Majority are small island developing countries • 22 countries or territories • Transport and infrastructure costs are high • Emigration to find employment – often to New Zealand or Australia

  3. People with disability in the Pacific • Estimated 800,000 people with disability • Traditional view is to protect people with disability in home village • Slowly changing • Growth of Disabled Persons Organisations • BUT considered the most marginalised group in the community with limited education & employment

  4. Pacific Disability Forum • Pacific organisation of and for people with disability • Full (Disabled Persons Organisations) and associate members from most Pacific Island countries • Key advocacy and capacity-building role

  5. Current status of ICT in the Pacific • Growing level of ICT usage in the Pacific • Widely varying usage in different countries • Costs • Remoteness • Awareness • Satellite services and submarine cables are increasingly bringing faster and more reliable services

  6. Map of submarine cables in the Pacific

  7. Arrival of cable in Tonga 2013

  8. Examples of usage • Computers are expensive • Limited expertise and maintenance available • More mobile phone usage with Internet access • 71% of Fijians are mobile phone subscribers • 6% of Fijians have computers • (Ref: http://www.e-pic.info/en/themes/ict/instructure)

  9. Governments going online • More government services are being delivered online • Advantageous for remote islanders due to lengthy and expensive travel • People with disability may not be able to use these services • Need for training • Affordability? • Accessibility? • No data

  10. Can international and regional policy help to make change? • Policy drivers: • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • ITU policies • Biwako Millennium Framework for Action & Biwako Plus • Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific2010 • Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability 2010-2015

  11. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Article 9 • States Parties shall also take appropriate measures to provide training for key stakeholders on accessibility issues and promote access to ICT including the Internet at minimum cost.

  12. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Cook Islands • Fiji • Kiribati • Federated States of Micronesia • Nauru • Palau • Papua New Guinea • Solomon Islands • Tonga • Tuvalu • Vanuatu • (Signed and/or ratified)

  13. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Donor agencies egAusAID have funded capacity-building for DPOs to develop national disability policies • Key CRPD Articles: education, employment, accessibility to the built environment • Very limited or no references to ICT in national disability policies

  14. ITU policies • Key policies • ITU Accessibility Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2013 • Resolution 70 (Johannesburg, 2008) - Telecommunication/information and communication technology accessibility for persons with disabilities • Publication: The ICT opportunity for a disability-inclusive development framework 2013 • Limited references

  15. Biwako Millennium Framework for Action & Biwako Plus • General references to Biwako in policy documents • Biwako’s: “Access to information and communications, including information, communications and assistive technologies” • Limited or no reference to ICT

  16. Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific 2010 • Includes connecting up disadvantaged groups such as people with disability • But no strategies or methods to achieve this

  17. Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability 2010 - 2015 • Relevant priorities • Strengthen political leadership and an enabling environment • Disability inclusive development • BUT no direct reference to ICT

  18. Gulf between ICT and accessibility • Are policies on ICT and on disability on parallel paths? • How do we break this cycle? • Some ICT training offered by donor organisations and by APCD • Next steps need support

  19. Internet Society workshops on ICT accessibility • Community Grant to set up & deliver capacity-building workshops on Internet accessibility from policy perspective • Delivered in Papua New Guinea & Vanuatu as part of annual conference by Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society • Interest by government representatives and NGOs at conferences on how to move forwards

  20. Proposal for Pacific ICT accessibility projects • Systematic approach to build accessible ICT usage for people with disability • Obtaining baseline data as foundation • Analysis and assessment of baseline data to move forwards with pilot projects in targeted countries

  21. ITU has key role • Major theme of ICT accessibility • Many related initiatives including work by G3ict • Commitment to ICT accessibility in AP region • Much work done in Asia but now we need to consider the Pacific region as well

  22. The importance of partners • No one organisation can usually fund a set of projects • The importance of partners is both in funding and involvement • This project proposal is seeking partners to collaborate in moving forwards • Pacific Disability Forum may have key involvement

  23. Project proposal elements • Stage 1: Data collection • Stage 2: Building awareness • Stage 3: Increasing accessibility • Stage 4: Consolidation and assessment

  24. Stage 1: Data collection • Current ICT usage by people with disability in designated number of PI countries indicating issues such as availability, affordability or accessibility • Audit of government web sites in designated PI countries • Review of legislation, regulation & policy in terms of ICT accessibility • Analysis of data to determine priorities for Stage 2

  25. Stage 2: Building awareness • Development of Pacific-appropriate disability awareness toolkit and training for government and the community • Development of Pacific-appropriate toolkit and training for policy-makers on incorporating accessibility into legislation, regulation and policy • Inclusion of Pacific accessibility information in relevant web portal

  26. Stage 3: Increasing accessibility and usage • Training and mentoring of people with disability in the use of the Internet in community centres • Training in web accessibility for government web designers • Study with regulatory bodies whether Universal Access Funds could be source of affordable and accessible ICT for people with disability • Many other activities needed eg disaster risk management • BUT need to prioritise

  27. Stage 4: Consolidation and assessment • Evaluation of project activities • Surveys of people with disability in usage • Web accessibility audits • Review of legislation, regulation & policy • Report with recommendations on achievement and gaps

  28. Conclusion • Many challenges! • But ICT should give Pacific Islanders with disability more opportunities to take an active part in their community • Looking forward to being part of this exciting voyage!

  29. Thank you! Gunela Astbrink GSA InfoComm g.astbrink@gsa.com.au

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